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American Crow: Minnesota hunting rules for 2026-27
Dates by unit or zone, limits, licenses and where to go for crows.
Photo: ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0)
The crow calendar for 2026-27 covers Sep 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027; licenses, limits, legal light and land follow below.
How the booklet sums up crows
- Limits: No limit.
- Season shape: Sept. 1-Oct. 31, Dec. 15-Jan. 15, Mar. 1-31; no license; electronic calls allowed.
- More: May be taken any time when causing damage.
DNR source page (as of Sep 15, 2026), checked October 28, 2026.
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American Crow dates, 2026-27
Each crow row with its area, limit and length in days.
| Season | Covers | Bag | Opening | Closing | Span | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crow segment | Statewide | No limit | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | 61 | |
| Crow segment | Statewide | No limit | Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | 32 | |
| Crow segment | Statewide | No limit | Mar 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 | 31 |
Notes on the crow rows
- No license needed; crows may also be taken any time they are causing or about to cause damage.
From booklet p. 57, checked October 28, 2026.
What to know afield for crows
Crows may be hunted from a half hour before sunrise to sunset, the small game window in the booklet.
The blaze requirement for crows is one visible orange or pink item above the waist when deer gun seasons are closed.
The crow season includes every Sunday.
booklet shooting hours, blaze rules, validation and registration, checked October 28, 2026.
American Crow: sunrise, sunset and legal time
Sunrise in Clay County comes later than in St. Louis County, so the crow window shifts across the state; times are computed for each county centre.
| Day | Event | County | First sun | Last sun | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Opening day | Clay | 6:44 a.m. | 8:08 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:08 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Opening day | Ramsey | 6:33 a.m. | 7:52 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Opening day | St. Louis | 6:27 a.m. | 7:53 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. |
| Mar 31, 2027 | Season close | Clay | 7:09 a.m. | 7:52 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. |
| Mar 31, 2027 | Season close | Ramsey | 6:57 a.m. | 7:37 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 7:37 p.m. |
| Mar 31, 2027 | Season close | St. Louis | 6:53 a.m. | 7:37 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 7:37 p.m. |
Rule from the booklet shooting hours page; sun times computed for the county centre (NOAA method, Central Time) and checked against U.S. Naval Observatory tables; checked October 28, 2026.
American Crow legal methods
American Crow and the general hunting laws
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Drones and radios | No drones or radios/cell phones to take big or small game (including recovery); radios allowed for unprotected animals; no electronic or motorized deer decoys; remote callers allowed for crows, furbearers and unprotected animals. |
| Firearm transport | Unloaded and fully cased or in a closed trunk (Personal Protection Act handguns excepted); uncased unloaded long guns allowed while hunting or traveling to/from hunting, except in Anoka, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, cities of 2,500+, school grounds and refuges. |
| Shooting from vehicles and roads | No taking wild animals with a firearm or bow from a motor vehicle (except disability permit holders); no shooting at big game on or within the right-of-way of improved public roads. |
booklet p. 30, booklet p. 37, Minnesota Statutes 97B.055, checked October 28, 2026.
American Crow and the legal species groups
| Group | Species | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Migratory game birds (booklet definition) | ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, moorhens (gallinules), woodcock, rails, snipe, sandhill cranes, mourning doves | Migratory waterfowl = ducks, geese and mergansers (statute adds swans, which have no season). |
| Unprotected wild animals (97A.015 subd. 53; booklet p. 32) | coyote, plains pocket gopher, porcupine, red/pine squirrel, striped skunk, woodchuck, unprotected birds | May be taken at any time in any manner except with artificial lights or by motor vehicle; no license needed. Booklet adds red squirrel and woodchuck. |
| Unprotected birds | house (English) sparrow, European starling, common pigeon, Eurasian collared dove, chukar partridge, quail other than northern bobwhite, monk parakeet | Booklet list. Statute 97A.015 subd. 52 also lists cormorant and mute swan and omits monk parakeet (flagged). |
| Predators (97A.015 subd. 37) | wolf, coyote, fox, lynx, bobcat | Predator hunters are exempt from the small game blaze rule. |
From Minnesota Statutes 97A.015 and the DNR booklet, checked October 28, 2026.
American Crow questions
What is the bag limit for crows?
For 2026-27: No limit.
What are shooting hours for crows?
Crows may be hunted from a half hour before sunrise to sunset, the small game window in the booklet.
Is blaze orange or pink required for crows?
The blaze requirement for crows is one visible orange or pink item above the waist when deer gun seasons are closed.
Is a license required for crows?
No license needed; crows may also be taken any time they are causing or about to cause damage.
Which weapons work for crows?
Shotgun 10 ga or smaller, rifle, handgun, bow, falconry; electronic calls allowed.
Can I take crows in summer?
Only when crows are causing, or about to cause, damage.
Does Minnesota limit Sunday hunting for crows?
Minnesota sets no day-of-week limits, so Sunday crow hunting is allowed.
What are the 2026-27 dates for crows?
Sep 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 across 3 dated rows. Sept. 1-Oct. 31, Dec. 15-Jan. 15, Mar. 1-31; no license; electronic calls allowed.
Other photos on this page: ilouque (CC BY 2.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0).